Whether it's livestreaming for his followers or learning the Formula 1 venues on the simulator, Norris embraces social

McLaren F1 driver Lando Norris is quickly becoming a Formula 1 superstar, but it is his ability to remain grounded off-track—something that defies most drivers—that sets him apart. Norris has become just as famous for the entertaining ways he uses social media as for his driving.

On a given day, the 19-year-old Brit might be sharing an inside look at trackside life on his Instagram, playing driving video games live on the Twitch.tv streaming service or making self-deprecating posts on Reddit.

This isn’t just attention-grabbing frivolity: It’s a genuinely new way for a driver in racing’s top echelon to reach fans.

“With the social media and stuff, it’s just boring if you do normal stuff,” says Norris. “Not everyone wants to just see you go, ‘It’s a good day.’ It’s more fun being interactive. It’s just easier doing that, I find, than trying to respond to something that no one is interested in.

“It’s not a mandatory thing. I don’t have to do it ... I just say about this or this or whatever. It’s not like, I’ve done badly and need to make up for it in a way or anything.”

Photo

Zak Mauger

Admit it. Lando Norris has a better Twitch setup that you do.

But why do it at all? To someone Norris’ age, and to his young fans, it’s self-evident. Consider: Up until Norris appeared on the grid, there was a massive divide between fans and drivers. The only contact you could dream of having with one of your heroes was a quick comment at a rare signing session. Even Lewis Hamilton, with his 12 million Instagram followers, is a distant figure, hardly responding to fans. Norris—who has 633K followers—constantly interacts.

The interaction gives Norris the air of being a normal, everyday person who just happens to drive some of the world’s most exciting cars. Frankly, it has breathed new life into the sport. Prior to Norris’ introduction in 2019, the only real character in Formula 1 was Australian Renault driver Daniel Ricciardo. Others occasionally show some personality, but the corporate smell of the sport under former leader Bernie Ecclestone still lingers.
If that’s changing, then Norris is at the vanguard. Driving for McLaren in his first campaign, he’s been a revelation. Scoring regular points and sitting ninth in the drivers’ standings, he has been crucial to the team’s upturn in form.

It’s also an image change. Under former boss Ron Dennis, McLaren had a clean-cut, corporate feel. With Zak Brown at the helm, things have changed.

Norris is still mindful of his online presence. Especially at the outset, the McLaren driver knew any mistake would see his social media usage labeled as a distraction. “When you come in, there’s a hell of a lot of expectations,” says Norris. “It’s very easy for people to point fingers at certain things ... to go, ‘If he concentrated more or didn’t spend time on social media, he doesn’t look like he takes it seriously,’ and so on.

Photo

Zak Mauger

Lando Norris has no shortage of young fans in the F1 paddock.

“They know I can do a decent job, and they don’t get quite as fussed or think about if I’m too jokey or don’t look like I take it seriously ... I’m not fussed if people like it or not.”

In 2018, the first official Formula 1 eSports competition was held. Increasingly, video games are bringing new fans into motorsports, and that’s not going to change. Alongside Max Verstappen and other younger drivers, Norris can frequently be found racing online. Despite appearances, it’s not all fun; a user of simulation games such “Gran Turismo,” Norris notes the computer-generated models are so accurate, he uses the official F1 games to learn tracks and create a basic setup for his actual race car.

“You can only learn a certain amount of things or try different things (in reality), so in terms of people that have no experience driving a real car, there’s nothing better to do than driving a simulator. One hundred percent, that will get people more prepared.

Photo

Zak Mauger

Lando Norris is currenty 10th in the F1 driver standings.

“I use the sim nowadays more for preparing for a weekend in terms of setup. It’s very accurate in terms of how the models are made. You learn about the more basic things.” Of course, Norris says, it doesn’t set up a gamer to drive an F1 car in real life.

“It’s still a very good way for me to compare my driving against Carlos (Sainz Jr.),” Norris’ McLaren teammate. “I don’t do it because it feels realistic, and it’s like actual track time. It is, in some ways, because Carlos drives in one way, I drive in another. Even if it’s the simulator, I’m able to work on my driving in places where Carlos is very strong.”

And if you happen to tune in to his Twitch stream at the right time, you might even be able to watch—maybe even chat with—him while he’s at it.

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